Minute of Diversity

The idea of the first flashmob in Vanadzor, Armenia, seeming impossible to lots of people days before, came true. Countless questions: can we manage, will the young people of our city gather, what if it rains? Today these questions don’t worry us any more as June 18, 2011, is already past and those questions have got their answers – yes, we can, yes, the youth of our city united around this idea… Besides, I don’t want to forget to say that it didn’t rain…

Peacebuilding Impulses

by Nenet Mukelyan, Peace Dialogue, Armenia

In 1969 Augusto Boal’s indictment of his domestic news media made the Brazilian dramatist, civil activist and writer famous. He created his own theory using the theatre as a platform for civil struggle against the media’s forgery impelling the reader to not believe blindly in everything journalists (who often having their own interests) say. He developed 11 techniques of reading called Newspaper Theatre. These techniques, together with his other theories (particularly, Image Theatre and Forum Theatre), formed the basis of his theatrical form Theatre of the Oppressed which focused on using theatre as the means for knowledge transformation, creating a new, theatrical reality, to help make sense of objective reality.

Let's See... Let's Choose... Let's Change...

by Armine Zakaryan, Armenia

At the beginning of 2011 Peace Dialogue NGO /Armenia, Vanadzor/ launched the project “Let’s see… let’s choose… let’s change…” in the framework of its three-year youth strategy “See Who We Are, Choose Who We Want To Be”. The project is aimed to establish a group of young men and women in Vanadzor, who take responsibility and recognize the importance of their role in achieving peace in their community, country, and region. They will be working towards the creation of a society that is aware and accepting of nonviolent solutions to Armenia’s conflicts, through the mobilization of their peers and cooperation with active youth groups and civil society organizations from other conflicting and post-conflict countries.

One Day with my Friends

by Armine Zakaryan, Armenia

Vanadzor youth has celebrated the international youth day on August 11, 2010, in the Vanadzor State Theater named after H. Abelyan with a photo exhibition and a concert. 

The “One day with my friends” project was the first step of the three year strategy of Peace Dialogue NGO /Armenia, Vanadzor/ called “See who we are, choose who we want to be.” 

Our starting point was to create a group of YOUNG key actors for change by breaking the indifference of a group of youth through organization of activities designed to stimulate interest in peace building and to empower youth for further activities in mobilizing their peers in the community.